2018 BMW i5

BMW is at the fore-front of aggressively producing plug-in electric cars among the four German auto makers. Just last year alone, the company launched the BMW i3 which is an all-electric hatchback as well as the stylish BMW i8 plug-in hybrid sport coupe.

Now, reports from Germany indicate that the automaker is in early stages of producing yet another plug-in hybrid with a longer all-electric-drive range. The vehicle is rumored to have a better capability than the upcoming 2016 BMW X5 xDrive 40e plug-in hybrid SUV. The new plug-in hybrid will go by the name “2018 BMW i5”. According to rumors, the idea behind the new plug-in hybrid sedan is to rival Tesla.

If that’s the case, we believe the new model is behind in time since by the time it hits dealer showrooms in late 2017 or even 2018, Tesla will probably be “miles” ahead.

BMW i8

2018 BMW i5 Exterior and Interior

It is not clear what exterior looks BMW will go with for the 2018 BMW i5. According to rumors, the vehicle will be built on the LWB 5 Series sedan which is specifically built for the Chinese market. It will also borrow design cues from the upcoming 7 Series while its proportions will be similar to the 6 Series Gran Coupe.

Some i8 styling cues will also find their way on the new 2018 BMW i5. The automobile is also expected to feature Laser headlights which we hope will be accepted for use in the US by the time it is released. Insider sources reveal that the vehicle might not utilize carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic body shell as earlier speculated. The reports further suggest that it might not use the aluminum chassis of the i3 and that of the i8. Exact details are closely guarded so, as of now most are speculations.

However, as time goes by and the vehicle nears its debut, we will have clearer information. On the interior, we expect the vehicle to feature a luxurious styling as is the norm with top-of-the-line BMW models. AS such, the i5 will feature premium leather upholstery and state of the art tech’ gadgets, infotainment system as well as a fully equipped safety package among others but as of now we don’t have any information on the interior of the vehicle.

2018 BMW i5

Engine Specs and Performance

The internet has been abuzz with speculations about the power-train that will drive the 2018 BMW i5 sedan. While some were talking about a hydrogen-powered engine, others were for a fully-electric platform while most were about a plug-in hybrid. We can now reliably confirm that the BMW i5 sedan will feature the eDrive technology that the automaker demonstrated last year with the BMW 5 Series GT Concept.

According to the “Autoblid”, a German magazine, BMW Blog reveal that the 2018 BMW i5 will likely feature a plug-in hybrid eDrive technology which will combine a 218-hp ICE unit with two electric motors, a front and a rear one. The front motor will produce 150 hp while the rear one will come good with 272 hp.

All engines combine to produce a total power output of a whopping 642 hp. The vehicle is expected to have 78 miles of electric-only driving range. The drive-train will push the vehicle to achieve 0-60 mph acceleration in 5 seconds and will have a maximum speed of 155 mph.

Release date and price

It is still too early to get official information on the vehicle’s price or release date. Actually, we believe the car is still in the initial stages of development as of this writing. The new 2018 BMW i5 is expected to make its debut to dealerships in the last quarter of 2017 or in early 2018.

As the debut approaches we will inform you of the actual prices so keep checking back for more information. However, we believe the vehicle will have a starting price of over $100,000.